Removable tray laying nest



Get. 16, 1956 P. TARBUCK 2,766,724

REMOVABLE TRAY LAYING NEST Filed Aug. 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FQG E 55 34 g J I INVENTOR.

rgAuL TARBUCK Oct. 16, 1956 P. TARBUCK 2,766,724

REMOVABLE TRAY LAYING NEST Filed Aug. 15, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. "3

1N VEN TOR.

PAUL TARBUCK B Oct. 16, 1956 P. TARBUCK 2,766,724

REMOVABLE TRAY LAYING NEST Filed Aug. 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

PAUL TARBUCK REMOVABLE TRAY LAYING NEST Paul Tarbucks El. Varano, sonoma, Calif.

Application August 15, 1955, Serial No. 528,185

3 Claims. (Cl. 119-48) My present invention relates to trap-nests and more particularly to a trap-nest in which the nest on which eggs are deposited is removable from the outer casing for cleaning or other purposes.

The principal object of my invention is to produce an improved trap-nest.

Another object is to provide an improved trap-nest having a removable combination laying and receiving area portion.

Another object of my invention of my improved trapnest is an improved resilient means against which eggs engage when rolling from the laying area to the receiving area.

Still another object is an improved resilient means located in the receiving area against which the rolling eggs finally come to rest.

Other objects comprising the construction and operation of my invention will be apparent as the description of the same progresses.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation with the front cover removed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section taken on the line 44 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional enlarged detail showing the bending of the heavy mesh wire where it is attached to the side edges of the frame of the removable egg receiving portion of the trap-nest.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the receiving portion of the trap-nest removed from the rest of the structure.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the removed receiving portion of the trap-nest, as viewed from the front, and

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the receiving portion of the trap-nest shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 10 indicates in general an outer structure within which is enclosed .an egg receiving and laying area portion indicated generally at 11. The laying portion and the receiving portions are indicated at 110 and 11b respectively. This laying and receiving area portion is removable from the outer case 10 so that any deposit from broken eggs or droppings from the hens may be easily and thoroughly removed.

The outer house portion 10 is constructed of two end portions 13. A back connecting strip 14, center strips 15 and 16, and base strips 17 and 18. The major portion of the back and bottom portions are open. The nest portion 11 is supported at its back portion against the side of a building. All droppings from the laying hens drop through the open bottom to a floor or receptacle below.

In the upper portion of housing 10 is a slidable door 20 to permit laying hens egress in and out of the laying area.

The removable laying and receiving areas shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 comprises a frame having end portions 2 5 and side portions 26 and formed in a two-step assembly. The top portion A is the laying area where the hen lays her egg. This area A is covered with two layers of woven wire cloth. The bottom wire cloth is a 1" mesh about 16 gauge wire indicated at 30 over which is placed a quarter inch mesh wire cloth indicated at 31. The receiving area B is also covered with the wire cloth 31. The edges of the wire cloth 31 are bent .down, as shown in the enlarged detail shown in Fig. 6. This bending down of the contact edges adds resiliency to the wire area both in the area A and, the receiving area B. This resiliency feature is very important especially in the receiving area B.- As will be observed areas A and B are pitched at an angle so that when an egg is deposited on the laying area A it will slowly roll by means of gravity toward the receiving area B passing under the barrier 15 to the extreme edge 33 of the wire cloth 31. This edge 33 is unsupported and is very flexible to a point where the weight of the egg depresses the screen slightly. At the same time, the egg bears against the longitudinal bar 34 suspended on the hooks 35 loosely swingable on the longitudinal rod 36. When the egg bears against the bar 34, the bar swings slightly outwardly, the wire edge 33 depresses slightly, and the egg gently slides down on the wire cloth 31 of receiving area B. The area B being slightly pitched as in the area A, permits the egg to continue to roll toward the extreme left side of the receiving area B.

On the front side of the housing 10 I have placed a thin wooden slat 40 which is supported by a nail 41 which passes loosely through the slat 40 at either end being fixed in end portions 13, better shown in Fig. 4. The slat 41) is very loosely mounted on the nail 41 and fixed to a minimum sliding movement on said nail by means of a heavy wire guard member 43 passing around the outside of the slat 40 and attached to the ends 13. The nails 41 are located on the outside of the guard member 43. By withdrawing the nails 41 which pass through the slat 40 the entire slat may be withdrawn from the guard members 43 for cleaning purposes.

Midway along the front of the housing 10 and engaging the underside of the slat 40 is an L-shaped member 45 which provides support for the midsection of the slat 4th.

The purpose of the very resilient slat 40 loosely mounted is to provide a practical resilient stop for eggs rolling down the receiving screen or metal cloth 31. The member 45 keeps the slat 40 from bowing outwardly too far where there are a large number of eggs in the receiving area B.

The removable feature of the laying and receiving unit is very important in my trap nest as it permits easy cleaning which is very important. The central barrier member 15 permits eggs to pass under and down to the receiving area B but at the same time prevents the hen from reaching the laid eggs and breaking them after she has laid them.

Hinged covers 50 and 55 may be opened one-half at a time when removing eggs from the receiving area B.

Having thus described my invention what 1 claim as new is:

1. An improved poultry nest comprising an outer enclosure body, a laying nest structure removably contained in the enclosure, said laying nest structure consisting of a two-step frame, screen elements located on the frame, said screen elements presenting a laying surface and an egg receiving surface both of which surfaces are inclined so as to impart rolling movement to an egg deposited on the said laying surface, said screen element for the laying surface being unsupported along a lower edge thereof so as to yield with the weight of an egg and lower the egg ontothe screen of the eggreceiving-surface in a cushioned manner, a loosely supported horizontally swingable gate supported in close proximity to the yieldable edge of the egg'laying screen in a position to coact with the unsupported edge of the screen and retard both the rolling speed and the falling speed of an egg passing therebetween and dropping onto the receiving screen, said receiving screen being further formed with curved spring edges, means in-the said frame for supporting the curved spring edges in a position such that they may flex when an egg 1 is received thereon, a flexible retaining bar mounted at the lower end of the egg receiving screen in a position such that intermediate portions thereof may flex outwardlywhen an egg comes into contact with its inner surface.

2. A structure according to claim 1 in which the nest structure is provided with a sliding door in front of said laying screen and a double two-piece hinged door located above said egg receiving screen.

3. A structure according to claim 1 in which the flexible retaining bar is supported at 'its intermediate portion by a reinforcing member for limiting flexing movement of the retaining bar.

References Cited in'th'e file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,807,253 Peterson May 26, 1931 1,911,633 Lohrer May 30, 1933 1,925,456 Muehr Sept. 5, 1933 1,926,133 Anderson Sept. 12, 1933 2,501,475 Muehlfeld Mar. 21, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 395,769 Great Britain July 27, 1933 

